brooks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. J. BROOKS.

BAGGAGE CHECK.

No. 267,486. Patented NOV. 14, 1882.

0 R R. m 8

Y A. w

.UV' VEJV'TOR Edward Jflrooks N. PETERS, Phclo'Lilhugnphcn Washingiom n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. J. BROOKS.

BAGGAGB GHBGK.

No. 267,486. Patented Nov. 14, 1882.

i 1 cus'roms IN TRAN l THROUGH CA ,zb llHill @REAT w STERN RWY l dm f WASHINGTON I J Edward. Jflraoks' By 1138 .dttorney v 5o accompanying drawings,

sure STATES EDWARD J. BROOKS,

or EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR To E. J. BROOKS 8t 00., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BAGGAGE-CH ECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,486, dated November 14,

Application filed June 10, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Baggage-Checks, of which the following is a specification.

The rapidity with which baggage-checks must be handled, and their liability to be accidentally grasped and to be subjected to various sudden and severe strainsin handling the baggage, demand smoothness of finish, ease of operation, and great strength in that part particularly wh ch is termed the strap, which attaches one or more ofa set of checks, as a tag, to the piece of baggage to which the set is appropriated in transitzt and until it is delivered.

Prior to my present invention straps for baggage-checks possessing the aforesaid characteristics have been made of leather, necessarily of fine quality, cut and punched into appropriate shape, including in all cases provision for looping the strap to the piece of baggage. At a comparatively insignificant first cost, I make metallic straps of soft wire, adapted to be looped to the baggage in like manner, and also, if desired, to be looped to the tag-checks by means of smooth and strong permanent loops. My said wire straps may attach checks proper of any description, but are primarily designed for use in connection with light and cheap thin checks, preferably of sheet metal, which would quickly cut through straps of leather, but can safely be used with my wire straps, while the whole need be used but once or twice to render their use economical, and thethin checksmay be readily punched by hand to designate one of a series of numbers or marks, indicating different way-stations or differentroutes, for example, so that only one pattern of checks, or a very few at most, will answer for checking baggage between any two points in a given line or between any two cities. Said thin checks, however, form no part of my present invention.

In order that my said improvement may be fully understood by those skilled in making and using baggage-checks, I now refer to the in which--:

Figure 1 is a face view of a baggagecheck, embracing a wire strap and a set of way-checks, illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of its wire strap. Figs. 3 and at are back and edge a partial face view of the whole, showing the cheek punched and separated. Fig. 6is a face view of a through-baggage check; and Fig. 7 is a face view of a passport-check, illustrating other applications of the wire straps and Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, are elevations of additional wire straps, illustrating modifications, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Likeletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The illustrative way-baggage check shown views of its tag-check; and Fig. 5 is L on Sheet 1 is composed of a wire strap, A, a

thin tag'check, The strap A is of annealed or soft wire. Oopper or soft brass is preferred; but iron wire can be made sufficiently soft and flexible. suitable length of this wire-say twelve inches, more or less-is cut oft. Its ends are bent over, and their extremities are welded, brazed, or soldered to the wire at intermediate points, to form smooth and strong permanent loops 2 y at the respective extremities of the finished strap, as shown in Fig. 2. These loops may be of about the proportions represented. The strap is passed through athreading-hole, :12, in thetag-check B, and the loop a is passed over the other end of the strap, and the latter is pulled through until the strap is tightlylooped to said tag-check, as shown in Fig.1. The loose check 0, which is likewise constructed with a threading-hole, w, may and will, in customary manner, he now threaded on the strap A, as shown in Fig. 1,, to keep the set of checks together until they are required for use.

The face of each check is provided with appropriate lettering, a common check-number, and the numbers of successive stations on a given railway being hand-punched, as illustrnted at w w, Fig.5, to designate the stations between which a given set of checks are used. The direction of travel may be readily indicated by the use of arbitrarily-chosen colorsred checks going east, for example, and white checks west. The loose check 0 is arbitrarily B, and a thin loose check, 0.

distinguished from the tag-check B by a difference in the otherwise immaterial shape of the threading-holes 00. So distinguished, (or distinguished by shape or the like,) the loose check alone need be returned to the station from which it was sent to prove the delivery of the baggage, while both checks of the set may be of one and the same color and be printed from one and the same form, or embossed by the same dies.

As illustrated by Fig. 6, my wire straps are applicable to through-cheeks as well as way-checks. Thin checks B C are shown in this figure with punched holes 10, to designate the route upon which they are used. Moreover, thin checks of a set may be distinguished from each other by colors, as indicated by shading in Fig. 6. and the direction of travel may be represented by difference in shape, as indicated by full and dotted lines in this figure; or any preferred checks (those in use, for example) may be employed in connection with my wire straps without losing the principal advantages of the latter. As illustrated by Fig. 7, my invention is applicable in part to the construction of a new and superior passport-check For use by revenlie-inspectors. Paper checks or tags B, suitably printed and pro ided with eyelets r and with my wire straps A, are peculiarly suited for this use.

My said wire straps for baggage-checks, as shown in Figs. 1 to 8, have permanent loops at both ends, as aforesaid, Fig. 8 illustrating the fact that the shape of the loop .2 is immaterial. The long loop y, the function of which remains to be stated, is the principal one,- and itis comparatively immaterial how the strap is attached to the tag-cheek. For

example, the strap may have a knot, a, or be bent in any manner so as to form an end enlargement, t, to act as a stop, the tag-check B to have a threading-hole, 00, of appropriate size, and the loop y may be adapted to pass through a very small threading-hole, as illustrated by Figs. 9 and 10; or, for some uses, fine annealed wire may be doubled to form the long smooth loop y, and its ends be passed together through the threading-hole w, and rebent and tightly wrapped or coiled around the wire above, as shown at s, Fig. 11, to thus attach the tag-cheek, and at the same time form said loop y. Wire for this last form must, however, be too tine for general use. Said loop y of the wire strap A, having been passed through a trunkhandle or the like, is quickly opened by means of the fingers and passed over the tagcheck B, to attach the latter to the piece of baggage by the customar; slip-loop. The tag-check is then pulled, and the loop, if need be, aided by the fingers to close or tighten the slip-loop, the whole beingreadilyaccomplished in an instant without risk of tearing the fingers by wire ends.

I do not claim herein a thin check or tag provided with a series of indicating numbers or marks adapted to be designated by punching, as hereinbetore specified; but I hereby reserve the right to claim the same in another application tor patent, to be filed hereafter.

I claim as new and of my invention and desire to protect under this speeitication As a new article of manufacture, a strap for baggage-checks constructed of soft flexible wire, with one of its ends adapted to be attached to a tag-cheek and its other end formed into a. long permanentloop, y, for attaching it to the baggage in customary manner, as herein specified.

EDlVAltD J. BROOKS.

\Vitnesses:

J. JENNINGS, L. F. Hover. 

